Venice had been the largest trading power in the world
Venice was the first trading power, and the strongest
In the fifteenth and early sixteenth century, Venice completely monopolized the trade industry
Used Crusades as a tool to increase wealth more by attacking rivals in Constantinople (World66.com)
Sixteenth Century Constantinople
(www.hort.purdue.edu)
In the 16th century, the republic was experiencing an economic crisis
The Eastern market was lost
The discovery of new lands in the West and new trade routes to the East released Europe from dependence on Venetian merchants
Venice lost their valuable spice monopoly when Portugal arrived in the Indies
Venice ceased to be a Mediterranean power
As a European power, it lacked the advantage that the Atlantic countries had of direct access to the New World
Venetian policy in the 16th century was dictated by the need to keep intact its political, economic, and territorial heritage against the advance of the Turks on the one side and the pressure of the great western European powers on the other
The landscape of Venice was a product of its economic activities
The enduring foundation of Venetian wealth was maritime commerce
Local products such as fish and salt from the lagoon
The Rialto remains the core of Venetian commercial and mercantile activity
Venetian trade required well-constructed vessels both for transport and for protection from pirates, rivals, and Turkish military forces
Shipbuilding inevitably became a major industry
Sixteenth Century Ship
(history.wisc.edu)
It occupied a whole sector in the northeast of the city, the Arsenal—a vast assemblage of basins, yards, and workshops
At its entrance is an elaborately decorated gateway with a fine group of stone lions guarding what was until the 18th century Europe’s largest industrial complex
Parts of the Arsenal are still used for Italian military purposes, though other parts have been converted into beautiful spaces for art and architecture exhibitions or for theatrical productions (Encyclopedia Britannica)
After loss of political power, Venice focused on the arts
Economic Status in the 16th Century
Sixteenth Century Constantinople
(www.hort.purdue.edu)
Sixteenth Century Ship
(history.wisc.edu)
Venetian Architecture
(photographers-scotland.com)